Breaking The Ice
by SapphireGirl93
Summary: Post movie. After months of romantic tension, Megamind and Roxanne are finally going on their first real date... no tricks, no disguises. But will their perfect evening turn out to be quite as perfect as they had planned? Oh of course it will... what could POSSIBLY go wrong? *wink, wink*
1. Chapter 1

**Just another one of those plot bunnies that wouldn't leave me alone, darn them! I've been mulling over this idea for a while… just gotta get it out! Can't stop myself! Oh, I'm hopeless… HOPELESS! ;)**

**This was originally intended to be a one shot, but, again, it grew out of control… so now it's a **_**two**_** shot.**

**Just a needless reminder, I don't own Megamind, Dreamworks does. **

* * *

For at least the twentieth time in the last hour, Roxanne stopped to glance at her reflection in her balcony windows, smoothing her new dress and doing a final inspection of her hair and make up, just to be sure that everything was perfect. The nervous and excited flutter that had been assailing her stomach all afternoon was almost to the point of becoming unbearable now as she turned once again to peek at the clock. _forty five minutes late now… Where are you? I hope you're okay._

Tonight was to be the night of their very first _real_ date; no tricks, no disguises, no villains bent on destroying the city, just the two of them enjoying each other's company. Of course, they had spent considerable amounts of time together since the day Titan had assailed the city with vengeance and Megamind had proven to her and everyone else that he indeed did have a hero hiding inside all along. But there had been an unspoken mutual decision that the time they spent would be on a friendly level, feeling one another out, laying the foundation for a deep and lasting friendship and re-establishing trust before they rushed into anything in the way of a possible _real _relationship.

Not to say that when they were together the air wasn't thickly laced with romantic tension. There were times it was so strong it was almost too much for the reporter and her blue hero to handle. They felt themselves drawn toward one another like magnets, and it had been becoming increasingly difficult for them to hold back, let alone to try and cover up in a nonchalant way the longing glances, and the way they would watch one another with lovesick eyes.

Certainly they both knew deep down how the other felt, but because of the awkward circumstances surrounding the "Bernard Incident", neither one had felt brave enough up to this point to come right out and say it. Despite the sincere apologies they had made to one another, each continued to have their own nagging worries that nipped at the thoughts in the back of their minds; Megamind's fear that she would reject him because of his trickery, and Roxanne's worry that she had hurt him so much with the cruel words she had spoken out of anger that he would turn away from any relationship with her other than friendship.

Poor Minion was beside himself with sadness for his friends as he stood back and watched the way they obviously ached for each other, but he felt at a loss about what he could do to help them find their way to one another. Yes, yes; he had tried several times to talk Megamind into just swallowing that worry and asking out the girl of his dreams, knowing full well that she was pining for him to do just that. But however hard he tried, the fish's solid reasoning was met with all the resistance of a hopeful but nervous suitor, their history and his lack of ability to truly forgive himself for the way he'd hurt her holding him back every time.

He had even, albeit uncomfortably and in a rather round about way, tried once to talk to Roxanne in hopes that she would be willing to make the first move, but her only response was an uncertain smile and a non committal, "I know Minion. We'll see."

It was almost infuriating for the little fish; how could two of the most confident, self assured people in the city be so darn self conscious? Finally, he gave up in his attempts to try and talk his friend into allowing himself to move on and begin a new relationship with the woman he obviously loved more than anything in the world. If it was meant to be, and the spacefish was certain that it was, the two would find their way to each other eventually… when the time was right.

As it turned out, that time was just around the corner. Roxanne had stopped in to the lair one afternoon to drop off a copy of his latest interview for him to preview before it was scheduled to air the next day. It had been a little over three months since the final showdown with Titan, and lately it had become nearly impossible for them to be together without letting their longing for each other slip and allowing themselves to show how vulnerable they were feeling. Despite the fact that they always enjoyed each other's company, and felt that being together was the most natural thing in the world and being away from one another made them feel lonely and incomplete, sneaky feelings of rejection were beginning to whisper to each of them as they waited impatiently for the other to be the first to work up their courage.

After handing Megamind the copy she had promised him and engaging in a bit of small talk, the two stood around slightly uncomfortably, Roxanne looking at him with expectant and hopeful eyes. Oh, if only she could make him understand how much she wanted to be with him. She supposed she _could_ ask him out like Minion had suggested; after all, she was a modern career woman and the old fashioned ways of doing things where the man always made the first move, although quaint, had become rather obsolete.

But the thing was, she _liked_ that quaint, old fashioned way of doing things. That was one of the many things she loved so much about Megamind himself, the way he seemed to have been plucked right out of the good old days of rock and roll and made her feel that sense of comfort she remembered from when she was young. And of course, what a gentleman he had turned out to be, clinging to that old school _treat a lady like a lady _ideal that seemed unheard of anymore.

The more she had thought of asking him herself she realized that, although incredibly tempting, she just wouldn't feel right. It would have felt to her as though she had forced things rather than allowing them to progress naturally, and she didn't want to look back at their first moments together as a true couple, if they ever got that far, and have regrets.

After having waited a few more slightly awkward moments, Roxanne sighed and said goodbye. _Darn it. Well, maybe next time._

Megamind had been wrestling with himself that whole day, trying to decide whether or not he would just go and do it already when she got there. He certainly wanted to, and he was fairly certain she wanted him to, but there was always that _"What if… " _that would steal in at the last second and reduce his carefully composed determination to a puddle of insecure goop.

As he watched the hopeful gaze in her blue eyes fall to a disappointed frown, a little voice in the back of his mind was trying to tell him… _"Do it! Look at her; she wants you, you big headed dope! Don't screw this up!"_

When he heard her slightly sad goodbye and saw her turn toward her car, that same voice suddenly screamed at him… _"Nooo! Don't let her go this time! Hurry up, ask her!"_

His heart hammering in his chest, Megamind nervously bolted forward without allowing himself to think through what he was doing and reached out to grasp her hand. Spinning her to face him, he asked breathlessly, "Roxanne would you like to go out tonight?"

She stood looking at him for a moment, her eyes wide with surprise as she tried to make sense of the most rapidly conveyed sentence she'd ever heard. When the meaning of the jumble of words that had just spilled from his mouth finally clicked, her surprised expression melted into a hopeful smile, and she said, "You mean _out_ out? Like… on a date? A real date?"

"Yes," he said. He looked a little pale and his emerald green eyes shown glassily at her with nervousness. His breathing was beginning to come quite quickly now; she was afraid he might hyperventilate if he kept on like this. She felt sorry for him, but he looked so cute she found she had to bite back a giggle that threatened to bubble over. She couldn't have herself laughing right now and hurting his feelings, especially with the answer she had to give him.

"Megamind, I can't… "

The blue man suddenly looked crushed. Thinking he couldn't bear to hear her rejection, he responded quickly, "Oh; of course. I know, you don't have to say anything further. I completely understand. It really was very forward of me to… "

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop it silly; you didn't let me finish. I can't _tonight_ because I have a meeting to go to. My boss called it at the last minute. But I would _love_ to go out with you; maybe Friday night?"

Megamind looked at her, stunned, and blurted out, "You would."

"Yeah." she answered brightly, beginning to laugh despite her efforts to keep her amusement under wraps. His response had come in the form of a statement rather than a question, and it was obvious he hadn't completely absorbed the essence of what she had just said. _For a genius you can be so slow, you adorable spaceman!_

"You _would_?" he repeated excitedly, this time the light going on as he finally understood that she had just said yes.

"Yeah!" she affirmed with a full fledged giggle.

"Oh-hooooh!" he shouted enthusiastically and threw his arms around her waist, picking her up and spinning her as they both laughed with joy, not to mention more than just a little relief that things finally seemed to be progressing the way they had both hoped they would and longed for for so long.

When he finally set her back down, he looked into her beautiful blue eyes and said to her, "Do you have any idea how much I've wanted to ask you that?"

She beamed at him and happily said in return, "And do you have any idea how long I've _wanted_ you to ask?"

* * *

After some discussion as to their plans for the following night's activities, it was decided that he would pick her up at six, and for their first night out together as a couple, well kind of as a couple, it seemed a little early in the game to actually classify themselves as officially "together" yet, they would do the classic dinner and a movie date. She would pick the dinner, he would pick the movie.

When the day had dawned, Roxanne woke with the sun feeling instant excitement at the thought of her first real date with Megamind. The anticipation for the perfect evening ahead spurred her on to get ready and out the door quicker than she remembered getting ready before, ever. All that excited energy was translating into a need to hurry and bustle along with her tasks; even though hurrying wouldn't make the date come any faster, she felt that she would pop if she didn't move faster and stay busy.

By the time afternoon rolled around, the excited energy was beginning to turn into nervous butterflies. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why in the world she suddenly felt so nervous about the prospect of spending time with Megamind. In all the days she had known him, she had _never_ felt nervous to be with him. And now that he had turned, they spent so much time together and had grown so accustomed to one another's company that they felt completely at ease together.

She knew there was no need to feel nervous, and yet, here she was standing in front of her balcony doors checking her reflection _again_, and feeling more nervous than she had ever felt in her life. She sighed and turned away, deciding that this was ridiculous. _Stop it, you have nothing to be so worked up about!_

She headed for the couch to take up the magazine that she had picked up at the news stand yesterday and hadn't had a chance to read yet. It must be the waiting that was getting to her. And now that he was late; well, that was certainly magnifying her already extreme level of discomfort. If she could just get into that article she wanted to read she thought it would help to take the edge off until he got there.

Just as she sat down and got comfortable, her doorbell rang. In seconds the magazine she had been holding was laying splayed and forgotten on the floor as she raced for the door. As she reached for the knob, she stopped herself. _Ok, wait a minute. Slow down. You look waaaay to eager here. Take a breath… ok… now calm down. It's just Megamind. Nothing to be nervous about._

The trouble was, when she reminded herself that it was "just Megamind", her nervous excitement tripled in about two seconds flat.

_Well if I can't settle down, I have to at least pretend to be calm. Play it cool Roxanne…_

With an extreme effort to keep the giddy grin off her face, she opened the door… and was shocked by what she saw.

Rather than finding him groomed and dressed and ready to go, he stood in her doorway looking quite grimy and completely disheveled, still wearing his hero suit, which happened to be soaked and covered in muck, and even torn in a few places. When he saw the completely shocked expression she wore as she registered how unprepared he was, his own expression turned incredibly sheepish.

"Roxanne, I'm so sorry. I was heading in to get ready for our date when a rescue call came in. There was an accident and I had to fish a car out of the river. Everyone's okay, by the way. But I had the brainbots grab some clothes for me and throw them in the car while I grabbed what I needed for the rescue and headed out, figuring it would be a quick job and I could get ready here when I was done and still have plenty of time. But the rescue took _faaar_ longer than I thought."

As she listened to his story, she began to notice that he was shivering as he stood in the hall and the dirty water dripped down around him to form a pool on the hallway floor. Kicking herself for being so rude, she reached out and took his hand, leading him inside. "Well come in here, you're freezing. And filthy! I'll get you a towel and you can just shower and get ready here; I don't mind waiting at all."

He looked relieved, but just to be certain he asked, "You're sure? Even if we left now with me looking just like this and I use my… _extreme_ driving skills, we'd just barely make our reservation at the _wrist- raunt_. If I take the time to clean up we'll miss it entirely."

"Megamind, you being comfortable is much more important to me than a reservation. We can just go someplace else. Go on, get ready." She said with a kind smile as she handed him a couple of towels and a plastic bag to stuff his dirty suit into.

His face melted into a beaming smile, and he simply said, "Thank you, Roxanne. I'll be but a moment!"

Just as he was turning to sprint to the bathroom, Roxanne asked one last question that stopped him in his tracks. "Why didn't you call though? I was starting to get kind of worried, actually."

He turned to her again, that same sheepish expression showing itself again, but this time mixed with a healthy dose of guilt. "I know, I was afraid you would be. In my rush to get out the door I, uh… forgot my phone. And of course the one time I forget my phone would be the time that Minion failed to grab his too. When we got to the scene I intended to have one of the officers call you for me, but I just forgot when I got wrapped up in the rescue. I'm sorry."

He looked so regretful it made her heart ache. She wanted to put her arms around him and give him a kiss to let him know it was ok, but decided against it. Covering herself with sludgy, smelly river water didn't seem like a very good idea; then they'd both have to get cleaned up and they'd never get on with this date.

She laughed a little and said, "Oh, it's alright. I'm just glad you're ok and that you finally made it here. Now go on, hurry up!"

"Yes! Hurrying as we speak!" he said as he turned and bolted to the bathroom, seeming not to notice the trail of river water he left in his wake.

She chuckled affectionately as she watched him head off like a shot, until her eyes slid down to those puddles of muddy, stinky water. That filthy water was so gross, there was no way she could just wipe it up and forget about it. Now she would have to mop the floor while she waited, one of the things she hated to do the most, and in her pretty dress too. _Great._

* * *

Megamind came through with his promise to be quick; in what seemed like minutes he walked out of the bathroom fresh and dressed and ready to go… but not looking particularly happy.

Roxanne looked up as she finished the last of her mopping to see that handsome blue face looking slightly annoyed and rather… self conscious?

"What's wrong?" She asked, surprised to see any expression but eagerness to get on with their perfect night.

"Ugh! The brainbots! I told them to go get me some clothes, so instead of getting _my_ clothes they apparently found a stash of things hiding somewhere that I'd stolen ages ago and forgotten about. I've never seen these before in my life! And they don't even fit right. This turtle neck was next to impossible to squeeze my giant head into. I look ridiculous!" he answered with a huff as he threw his hands in the air with exasperation.

When he began complaining about his ensemble, Roxanne looked down to take in the scene for the first time and found herself having to stifle a fit of laughter. His black corduroy pants were at _least_ a size too large for him and he seemed to be having a difficult time keeping them up, considering that the brainbots neglected to grab a belt to go with them. He didn't dare use the belt that went with his hero suit, it was still covered in muck and would need a thorough scrubbing before it could be used again.

The blue turtle neck looked like it fit alright, but just as he had said, he must have had quite a time putting it on; the neck looked rather stretched out, as though he had been tugging and pulling at it a great deal to manage it over that great big skull of his. It sagged sloppily under the charcoal jacket that, if you can believe it, was too small for him. It looked immensely uncomfortable as it rode up under his arms and stretched tightly across his back and shoulders. The sleeves were quite short for him and hovered up considerably higher than his wrists. _Out of all the things they could have picked, how did they actually find something that was too small for him?_

With every effort to keep the laughter out of her voice, Roxanne asked, "Have you tried taking the jacket off? That might help… "

"Yes, I tried that. It just made me look even more ridiculous. You can't tell with the jacket on, but the shirt is too small too. It rides up when I move around… " he said with a pout.

"Oh… Well at least they picked the right colors. You have to give them credit for that, right?"

"But look at this! I look like a stale old professor in a moth eaten suit!" He exclaimed, opening his arms wide so she could thoroughly inspect the travesty he was being forced to wear. When he did so, his pants slipped a little further down his waist, causing him to have to quickly grab the waist band so as not to embarrass himself further.

Seeing him grapple at his pants to keep them up proved to be too much for Roxanne to handle, and she melted into a giggling mess, bending over double and clinging weekly to the handle of the mop for support.

"_Ha… Ha… Ha. _I'm glad you find my plight so _amusing_ Roxanne, but how am I supposed to go anywhere like this. I can't let go of these horrible pants for more than thirty seven seconds without the risk of exposing myself to everyone."

She took another moment to control the giggles and catch her breath before answering, her voice trembling with the laughter that waited to sneak through again, "Do you want to just stay here tonight? I don't really mind if we do. We could watch… '

"No, no. We've done that often enough up to this point. This is supposed to our first _date_, I want it to be special. I'm not going to let something like this put a damper on it."

Roxanne felt a warm flutter in her belly and chest when she heard him speak those words so sweetly and saw the way he looked at her so lovingly. She couldn't keep the smitten smile from spreading across her face.

"Okay, how about calling the brainbots or Minion to get you another outfit, or at least a belt?"

"No, we've already wasted too much of the evening. If I do that we won't get out of here for at least another half hour or so, and even then there's no guarantee they won't come back with something even worse than this." he answered, motioning to his outfit with his free hand.

"Well; there is another option, but I don't think you'll like it much… "

He looked at her suspiciously and asked, "What?"

"You could borrow a belt from me." When she saw the slightly horrified look that suddenly assailed his face at the thought of borrowing a _woman's_ belt to complete the mess he was already wearing, she forged ahead quickly through the giggles that were starting to take over again. "Wait! It's okay! No one will see it, and at least you won't have to worry about your pants. The only person who would know is me… and I promise I won't reveal all your _secrets_." She couldn't resist that last little dig, and punctuated it with a wink.

He studied her expression for a moment; it was obvious that she was trying her best to be helpful, despite the teasing… and not having to worry about those darn pants would make for a much more pleasant evening.

Finally, he sighed and said resignedly, "Alright. Fine. I'll borrow a belt. But this _is_ our secret; I don't even want Minion to hear about this one."

She laughingly agreed, and as quickly as she could, returned with the belt, the _least_ feminine one she could find. When he had it cinched firmly in place he looked as though he felt considerably better, although he still felt ill at ease in the terrible suit that his dimwitted creations of science had picked out for him. He watched Roxanne dump the dirty water and put away the mop as he cinched up, and noticed for the first time in all the confusion of the evening time how ravishing she looked.

Her hair was perfectly in place, as always, and looked invitingly soft; he felt a sudden longing to touch it and allow his fingers to linger through it. The blue in her eyes looked particularly brilliant that evening, he assumed because they were accentuated by the lovely dress she had chosen to wear. It was a deep, dark blue and edged in white trim, with ruffles around the v shaped neck that was secured with two tiny buttons. The white spaghetti straps showed off her creamy shoulders, while the deep blue sash around the bodice accentuated her small waist and luscious hips. He had never seen this dress before, and wondered to himself if she had bought it specifically for their date. It was a perfect dress for her, tailored in her uniquely beautiful style. She had always had a bit of a soft spot for ruffles, which he thought was absolutely adorable.

"Well at least one of us looks good tonight. You look _absolutely_ stunning, Roxanne!"

She blushed a little at his compliment, and with a smile, said, "Oh, thanks. But I think you look very handsome, even in the… uh, interesting outfit the bots picked out for you. _Very_ _handsome_."

Despite her attempts at hiding it, she couldn't completely disguise the slightly sultry tone in her voice or her wistful expression as she looked him over. When he saw this, it made him swallow, hard. _Ooh, such a temptress, and I don't think she even realizes it. She has no idea what she does to me…_

When he recovered, he cleared his throat and asked, "Are you ready to go, my dear?"

With an excited smile she answered, "Yep! Let me get my purse… "

As they were heading out the door, Megamind suddenly thought of Roxanne, mopping in her gorgeous dress and perfectly styled hair. "Roxanne…I couldn't help but notice you mopping your kitchen dressed like that… is that normal for you? To randomly deep clean dressed to the nines?" _Her place has always been tidy… but, wow! That's dedication. I wonder what she thinks about the mess at the lair? I'm going to have to have to get those dimwitted brainbots to clean the place up a bit… _

* * *

**Hmmm, so what do you think? Will the rest of their "perfect" night go off without another hitch? Or are there more surprises ahead?**

**Leave me a review and throw me some guesses! ((Hugs)) for the reviewer that comes closest to guessing what happens next! ;)**

**Chapter two coming soon! Please look for it!**

**Thanks y'all! X6!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, never mind… I was just kidding. This one-shot that turned into a two-shot is now a **_**three**_**-shot. Why won't those dang plot bunnies leave me alone?**

**Chapter 3 is underway; I hope to have it done within a week. *fingers crossed***

**Thanks for coming back, my fellow Mega-fans! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Having missed their dinner reservation, the couple now had to decide on which one of the many other restaurants in town to pick. Because it had originally been Roxanne's choice where they would eat that night and she was unsure what her dashing blue date was in the mood for, she rattled off a list of other possible establishments they could go to that didn't require a reservation but were nice enough for a special night like this.

French… Italian… Greek… Chinese…Thai… To her surprise, the place that Megamind seemed most interested in visiting was the Thai restaurant; in a million years she wouldn't have guessed that he would have picked that. He had always seemed to be quite a picky eater, and that particular style of ethnic food just didn't seem like a particularly Megamind-ish type of cuisine. In fact, she wasn't even sure why she had listed it with the possible choices to begin with.

"Are you sure? You might not like it… "

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure! I've heard you rave about it before, I'm sure it's fantastic."

"Well that doesn't mean _you'll_ like it though, it just doesn't seem like something you'd… "

With a chuckle he glanced at her as he maneuvered the invisible car through traffic and said, "Roxanne, come on! I'm sure I'll love it. And this _is_ our first date after all; I'm up for a little adventure… I've never had Thai food before and after hearing the glowing things you've said about the place, I'm curious."

It didn't take much to convince her, after all, Jasmin's was one of her favorite restaurants in town. If Thai is what he really wanted, who was she to say no?

Upon their arrival, the restaurant suddenly went into an uproar. Every eye in the place turned toward the new hero and his date, the famous Miss Ritchi. Even the kitchen staff found a moment to break away from their tasks to peek through the doorway and watch excitedly as the celebrated couple were seated. The tongue tied hostess who led them to their table fawned excitedly over them as she handed them their menus and attempted to tell them about that evening's specials.

When she finally left them alone for a moment, Megamind looked around at all the fuss being made over their visit, and said, "Hmmm, maybe we should have used the disguise generators; with all the attention we seem to be getting we may not get a moments peace tonight. I thought most of the citizens were getting used to seeing me around by now. Well, seeing me without my giant battle bots, not destroying things anyway… "

Roxanne chuckled and said. "Well, they're just making a fuss because this is your first time here; they're excited! And I wouldn't _want_ to use the disguise generators Megs. I want to be with you… the _real_ you." she said with a smile as she gazed at him through her lashes.

His only response to her sweetly affectionate compliment was a sentimental sigh, a dreamy eyed smile, and a momentary round of delightful heart palpitations. It amazed him how this woman could so easily reduce his highly advanced, amazingly intelligent brain to a useless lump of mush that was barely able to string more than three words together at a time.

Before he recovered enough say anything in return, their waiter approached the table, just as full of eagerness to serve the new Protector of Metro City as the hostess had been.

"It's so nice to see you again, Ms. Ritchi. And... oh wow! I can't tell you what an honor this is Mr. Megamind, Sir! Anything you need while you're here, you just let me know!"

"Ahh! Thank you, my comestible comrade. We'll be certain to do just that!" Megamind answered congenially, flashing a charismatic smile.

Roxanne grinned proudly at her date; he had come such a long way in his approach to handling his interactions with the citizens in such a short amount of time.

"A-aare you both ready to order?" stammered their attendant with a slightly star struck smile.

"Well I'm ready! I'll have Pad Thai please."

"Of course Ms. Ritchi, your usual. And to drink?"

"A glass of chardonnay would be wonderful, thank you."

"I should have known!" responded the waiter politely as he scribbled her order on his notepad.

"And how about you Mr. Megamind, are you ready? I can give you more time if you need… "

"_Nooo_ my main man, no need for that! I'm as ready as I'll ever be!" answered the blue celebrity as he grabbed his menu and flipped it open to peruse the selection.

_Oh, this might not turn out well… _"Um, Megamind? Don't you want to look through the menu a little first? There are a few things there that I'm pretty sure you're not going to like; I can help you pick something out that… "

"Oh no, it's fine Roxanne. I'll have… this one… " he said as he randomly pointed out an offering on the menu. When he looked at the odd word, he bent close and squinted his eyes a bit, trying to decode the foreign pronunciation. "…_Labe-gay_."

Roxanne was in mid-sip of her water when he made his attempt at saying the exotic Thai word. When she heard the way he butchered it, she snorted a quick, uncontrolled burst of laughter, sputtering water on the table cloth and the front of her dress, drawing a sideways glance and a raised eyebrow from her date. "Sorry…" _Oh, yeah. Real smooth Roxanne._

Trading her glass for a napkin and beginning to blot up the mess, she looked at him with an amused grin and said, "No Megs, you're pronouncing it phonetically. It's _Laab Gai_. And I don't think you're going to like that dish _at all, _it's pretty spicy…"

"Oh, I'm sure it's delicious!" he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. The truth was he had _no_ idea what he was looking at on the menu. None of these dishes looked even remotely familiar to him, having been a rather unadventurous eater throughout his life. Knowing that if he combed through the menu to find the perfect meal they'd be sitting here a ridiculously long time, he just decided to point at the first thing he saw and be done with it. Besides, when he told Roxanne that this was where he wanted to eat, he _did_ say he was up for an adventure.

"Excellent choice; that's our signature dish! And what can I get you to drink?"

"I'll have the same thing my lovely date is having. In fact, why don't you just bring us the bottle." Megamind answered, casting a rather undisguised smitten gaze at the lovely woman sitting across from him.

With polite thanks, their waiter assured them that their drinks would be there momentarily, and their meals would follow soon after. Having done that, he turned with a final excited gawk at the couple to deliver their order to the chef.

When they were alone again, Roxanne sat quietly for a moment and then pressed, "Are you sure you don't want to look at the menu one more time? We can flag the waiter down, it's really not a big deal. I'm just really worried you're going to hate what you ordered."

"Well don't worry, I'll love it."

Trying one more time for his sake, she looked at her stubborn date and said, "Listen Megs, you've saved me more than once, so I'm going to try to save _you_ now… pick _anything_ else on the menu. You don't want that dish. It's way too spicy, I promise."

"Pfffft! Its not a big deal, Roxanne. I can handle it." he said with a chuckle and a blasé expression. _Save me? Now _that's_ a bit of an exaggeration. Why in the world is she so worried about this? The protector of Metrocity should be able to handle a little spiciness…_

Megamind decided it was high time they changed the subject; he adored and respected this woman in every way imaginable, but he _was_ perfectly capable of choosing his own meals. He looked at Roxanne with a smirk and said, "So, I seem to remember being teased regularly by a certain lovely reporter I know about being so predictable, and yet here we are at your favorite _wrist-raunt _and I find out you're known around here for being rather predictable yourself. Care to explain that, my dear Miss Ritchi?"

Realizing she had done all she could, Roxanne gave in and grinned sheepishly, answering him with a chuckle of her own, "Oh, well I've tried most everything on the menu at one point or another, but I'm just not a big fan of really spicy foods anymore. I used to love them, but I guess I've had so much of it, I kind of got burned out on it after a while… no pun intended. Their Pad Thai is pretty mild; it's definitely my favorite on the menu so I've been getting it every time I come in for a while now."

Feeling as though they had discussed her predictability more than enough for one night, she asked, "So… are you going to tell me all about that _daring_ rescue this afternoon?"

It certainly didn't take any more encouragement to convince her not-so-bashful hero to begin a long, detailed narrative of his adventures earlier that afternoon. With all his usual enthusiasm, he told the saga of the drunk driver who drove straight into the river and managed to get himself stuck tight inside the watery confines of his car, submerging it just enough to leave a pocket of air for him to breathe, but wedging it in tightly among the _only_ clump of trees on that stretch of road that just _happened_ to surrounded the very spot he took the plunge.

Despite the potentially dangerous nature of the situation, Roxanne found herself giggling at Megamind's descriptions of the willful and at times downright dimwitted brainbots as they wandered about doing the exact opposite of what they had been instructed to do. For some reason, that day they had been particularly naughty and their exploits were a major reason for his delay in getting to her apartment at the appointed time.

"I should have called them brain-_less-_bots." Megamind groused, making the pretty blue eyed reporter laugh loudly at both the proposed alternate name for his pets, as well as his frustrated expression as he vented his aggravation.

He went on to describe the way the intoxicated man he was attempting to save was so inebriated, he hadn't been able to follow instructions any better than the brainbots had. When he was told to move up farther into the air pocket, he moved down deeper into the filthy water. If asked to move to the left, he went right. When they had finally managed to get him to move safely out of the way so they could cut an opening into the top of the vehicle to free him, he had a terrible time finding his way to it despite the strained but patient instructions that the hero and his sidekick were trying to give him. It was almost as if he didn't understand a word they said.

The last straw finally came when Megamind stood up after bending over the makeshift escape hatch for over an hour, and with a frustrated sweep of his arm began reading the drunkard the riot act. That quick action caused him to lose his footing, and he slipped on the wet surface of the car, sliding directly into the sludgy, mucky water and covering his suit with mud, snatching from him any hope of being able to quickly change and be ready for their date in a reasonable amount of time.

As he began his description of picking out the two best behaved bots to pluck the impossible man from the wreckage, their waiter returned with the wine and promptly filled their glasses, promising that their meals would be out momentarily.

When they were once again left alone, Megamind took up his glass, and holding it out he gazed at her with lidded eyes and an adoring smile, and said, "To us Roxanne, and our chance at a new beginning."

Taking up her own glass, she replied smilingly, "To new beginnings… "

As the rims of their glasses touched, Roxanne was suddenly struck with an overwhelming sense of de'ja'vu. She was instantly brought back to another night with Megamind several months ago when he had looked so very different than he did now. Different, and yet when she saw him sitting across from her in his jacket and turtleneck, those same green eyes gazing at her in the candle light, not so very different at all.

As the memory of that painful night drifted through her thoughts, her eyes dropped and a tiny frown settled on her lips, her brows wrinkling imperceptively as a dull ache began to register in her heart. It surprised her that she still carried a remnant of the hurt she had felt; she thought that she had moved on long ago. Of course she had completely forgiven him, but apparently, without her realizing it, there was still a portion of that wound that hadn't quite healed.

She was stirred from her thoughts when she heard a familiar voice ask, "Roxanne? Are you alright?"

Glancing up, she saw Megamind leaning forward and looking at her with worry, appearing as though he might leap over the table if need be to help ease whatever it was that suddenly seemed to be troubling her.

Stuffing down her thoughts, she smiled at him and replied, "Yes, I'm fine. It's nothing, really!"

Not looking particularly convinced, he narrowed his eyes a bit with concern and began, "Are you sure? You seem… "

"Here we are, Mr. Megamind; Ms. Ritchi!" interrupted a cheerful voice.

Thankful for the well timed distraction, Roxanne looked at the waiter and piped up quickly, "Oh, great! It looks fantastic!"

Megamind shot a slightly annoyed glance at the oblivious young man as he placed the laden plates on the table and asked them if there was anything else they needed, but his worried eyes found their way quickly back to his date as he tried to reason out what might be bothering her. To his relief, the troubled look was gone, replaced by a bright smile as she politely thanked their server, but in the back of his mind a miniscule speck of uncertainty remained. _Something is obviously bothering her. I hope everything is alright… I wonder why wouldn't she tell me?_

As Roxanne no longer seemed bothered by whatever had mysteriously caused her to look so upset for a moment, Megamind decided to push the lingering concern for his date to the back of his mind for now, but to stay watchful for any cues that she was becoming distressed again.

Turning to the plate full of food the waiter had just placed before him, he was taken aback to find a layer of brightly colored green vegetables, artfully arranged around a pile of chicken that seemed covered in what could only be hot chili peppers judging by the aroma that wafted from his dish.

The meal was absolutely beautiful to look at, but Megamind had never been a man for an excess of greenery in his meals, and that little bit of spiciness that he had been so certain he would be able to handle without trouble suddenly seemed to be a bit out of his league. Even the smell of it was catching at the back of his throat and making his nose and eyes begin to burn.

As he examined the intimidating plate full of food he had committed himself to eat, he suddenly had the distinct impression of eyes very nearby, carefully observing his every move. He looked up to find Roxanne watching him with an expression lost somewhere between amusement and pity.

"So what do you think? You sure you're going to be okay?" Roxanne asked when he met her eyes and she noted his mildly panicked look as he took in his dinner choice.

He immediately shifted his expression to one of indifference and responded, "Why of course I'll be okay, why wouldn't I be?" He punctuated his response with a shake of his head and a chuckle, just to prove his point.

"Well good; I wouldn't want you dying of spice overload on our first date." she teased, that familiar crooked grin turning up the corner of her mouth.

_Dying of spice overload? That doesn't bode well… _

"Yours looks wonderful!" he commented as he looked jealously at her plate, trying to direct her attention away from his lack of enthusiasm for his own meal. _There's not a single hot pepper in sight. I think should have let her help me after all…_

"Yeah, it is!" she affirmed as she swirled the noodles around her fork and began to eat happily.

Turning back to his dinner, he carefully loaded his fork with a sample of the chicken and with a deep breath, he took his first bite.

At first bite, he noticed a uniquely pungent, almost sour taste mingled with the savory flavor of the chicken and an unusual assortment of herbs. Expecting an instant inferno in his mouth when he began to chew, he was relieved to find that, despite a generous amount of spiciness, it didn't seem to be more than he could handle after all. _Hmmm, this is actually not that bad… quite good as a matter of fact!_

With a relieved smile, he took his second bite, and then his third, eating with gusto as he continued relaying his story of the rescue that had been interrupted by the waiter when their wine was delivered. By the time he began on his forth bite, a curious thing began to happen. A slow, smoldering burn began to settle in, growing in intensity with every chew until that smolder suddenly ignited into a raging flame that not only consumed his mouth and tongue, but began to creep up the sides of his head to his scalp, making his bald blue head tingle and sweat as though he were sitting in a sauna.

The inferno also effected his sinuses, making his nose run embarrassingly and his eyes water like faucets. Dropping his fork in favor of his napkin, he blotted his eyes and nose and head, and exclaimed, "Ow… "

"Here, drink some water." Roxanne said as she handed him his glass. She had been watching her date expectantly, wondering when the slow burn would kick in. She felt sorry for him knowing what an unpleasant surprise was in store, but she had been having a difficult time holding back the fact that she thought this whole scenario was pretty darn funny. Now that she saw his reaction, it wasn't quite so funny anymore.

Snatching the glass from her hand and causing a considerable portion of the contents to slosh over the rim and onto the table, he downed the ice cold liquid, reveling in the cool relief it provided. Draining the glass, he set it down on the table and said in a raspy voice, "I think I'm going to need some more of that."

Luckily, just at that moment, their waiter came by to inquire if their meals were satisfactory and if there was anything else he could get for them. "Yes, could we get more water, please?" Roxanne asked.

"I'll take two glasses. So will she." Megamind put in amid coughs and sputters as he reached for Roxanne's water glass, his voice beginning to sound more hoarse as round two of the burn began to kick in.

"Is the water helping at all?" She asked as she slid her chair close to him and began to pat and rub his back as though she were soothing a child.

"No, not at all. I think it's worse!" he answered in a rasping whisper.

Turning to the waiter, who was still standing at their table watching the drama unfold with wide eyes, she said, "Could you actually bring him milk instead, please?" Then looking at Megamind, Roxanne said, "The milk will help."

When he heard this, he glanced at the waiter with a pleading expression amid a round of coughs and held up two fingers, silently mouthing the word "two".

The waiter nodded his understanding and then turned quickly toward the kitchen to bring the required beverages. As he left, Roxanne noticed that his hand was covering his mouth in an attempt at hiding a smirk at the fact that the former baddest boy of them all, the new protector of Metro City, was currently being taken down by spicy chicken salad.

Turning to her blue date, Roxanne asked as she continued to soothe him with gentle pats, "Are you okay? I was afraid this would happen; their Laab Gai is famous for being the spiciest dish on the menu."

Megamind gave an exaggerated nod in answer as he cleared his throat and reached for Roxanne's glass, draining the last drops of precious liquid. When he had finished it, he said in a scratchy voice, "Yes, barely. Oh my God, this is _terrible_. I've never eaten anything this painful in my life! Look at me sweat! I should have listened and let you help me pick something." Then reaching for his napkin to once again blot his perspiring face, he glanced toward the kitchen and asked rather desperately, "Where's that milk?"

After taking a moment to stamp down a sudden urge to giggle at his dramatics, Roxanne asked, "Would you like to order something else instead? You don't have to eat this, Megs."

"No, I ordered it, I'm going to eat it; as long as the milk will help… it will help, right?" he asked with an almost pleading glint in his eyes.

This time Roxanne was unable to keep her composure, and with a bubbling laugh she answered, "Yes, it'll help. It won't knock it out completely, but it'll definitely take the edge off."

Returning with the lifesaving drinks, the waiter approached the table with four glasses balanced expertly, two milks and two waters, and placed them all within easy reach of the hero's place at the table. "Can I help with anything else?"

Megamind piped up quickly as he reached for his glass, "Just keep the milk coming if I get low, my epicurean ally."

"You got it!" responded the waiter with undisguised amusement. He had been dreading coming to work that night and had even thought about calling in, but right at that moment he was thanking his lucky stars he decided to show up… he wouldn't have wanted to miss this for the world!

Once he had drained nearly half his glass of milk, Megamind picked up his fork and said, "I'm eating this like I said, but _these_ have got to go."

With that, he began rooting around his plate with his fork, separating anything that resembled one of the red hot peppers that he had unfortunately bitten into on that fourth bite. Upon amassing a sizable pile on the side of his plate of what would have made fantastic miniature torture devices during his days of mayhem and villainy, he carefully began his second attempt at finishing his meal, occasionally huffing as he chewed in an attempt at cooling his flaming mouth. Completely neglecting his wine in favor of the milk, he took frequent breaks as he ate to guzzle both glasses and much of the water as well, and to wipe his sweating head with his increasingly dampening napkin.

When, with a considerable amount of effort on Megamind's part, the couple had finished their food and the check had been delivered and paid for, and their waiter generously tipped for his exquisite service to the fussy hero, Roxanne asked, "So what movie did you pick out for us tonight?"

Megamind sat quietly thinking for a moment with a mildly uncomfortable look on his handsome blue face, and then answered as he rubbed his stomach, "Actually, Roxanne… would you mind terribly if we don't go to a movie tonight? I'm just not really feeling… _myself_ at the moment. I don't think I want to sit for a couple of hours in a stuffy theater."

Roxanne's face immediately fell when she heard this. Despite the fact that up to this point their perfect evening hadn't been quite as perfect as they had planned, she didn't want to go home yet. The evening was still young, and there was plenty of time for the "perfect" part of the night to kick in if they just gave it a chance. She wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet and give the night up as a loss. But when she saw the distress in his expression as he looked at her, she knew she couldn't drag him anywhere else if he wasn't feeling up to it. With a disappointed sigh, she looked away and answered, "No, I guess not. We can just do it another night. It's okay, Megs. You can take me home."

That one little sigh and that look of disappointment on her pretty face sent a thrill of affection racing through his heart. _She still wants to be with me, even though I just made a monumental fool of myself in front of the whole wrist-raunt. _

Suddenly, Megamind felt that he was getting a second wind. He could make it to the end of this date. Even though the inside of his stomach did feel a bit like a churning pit of lava... he could do it for Roxanne. Yes, he could _do_ _this_!

"You know, we don't have to go home yet…. I just think I need some fresh air. How about if we go for a walk instead?"

When she heard this, her eyes immediately brightened and snapped up to meet his, and she said, "Really? Are you sure?"

With a smitten smile at his lovely date, he stood and took her hand, helping her to her feet. "Yes, I'm absolutely sure. Let's go! I'm enjoying your company _far_ too much to quit now, even _with_ all of our little… mishaps. Besides, you know how the saying goes; 'Third time's the charm', right? Well, we've already had three major mishaps, so we seem to have met our quota for the evening. What else could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

**Yes, what else could **_**possibly**_** go wrong? **

**What do you think? Is the "perfect" part of their perfect night about to kick in? Hope you'll come back for the end of the story to find out! **

**Thanks for reading, and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know I said an update was coming within a week… about 3 weeks ago, but life just got in the way… **_**again**_**! Well, I've finally got it done, and not just one chapter; my one shot turned out to be four chapters! Darn plot bunnies! I'll get the final chapter posted on Monday, I promise! Really!**

**Hope you enjoy it! **

* * *

Having been in such a hurry to begin their perfect evening, Roxanne had neglected to bring a jacket when they left her apartment. Now as they left the restaurant, she wished she'd remembered. The clear skies above were beginning to show signs of clouding; small patches of stars as they emerged in the twilight were being hidden bit by bit behind long fingers of clouds as they lazily stretched their way above the city, and a cool wind had begun to stir up, ruffling Roxanne's hair and skirt as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

The instant the chill of the breeze brushed against her skin, she could feel goose bumps beginning to form, and she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to cover as much of her bare shoulders and arms as possible. In her excitement to leave, she hadn't thought about grabbing the sweater she had set out to take with her, and in the warmth of the evening she hadn't even noticed she had left it behind. But now that the weather seemed to have changed a bit while they sat in the coziness of the restaurant, the image of that warm sweater draped neatly over the back of the chair by her front door was drifting tauntingly in her mind's eye.

Ah well, she'd be alright. They were setting out for a walk in Metro City Park, which was less than a block away from the restaurant where they had dined, and she figured that once they were out there moving she would almost certainly warm up. It was probably a good thing she didn't have it actually; now she wouldn't have to carry it around when she realized that the exercise was warming her up _too_ much.

As they walked along together, she glanced over at her dashing date. He still wore a mild expression of discomfort left over from the "dinner from Hell" he had just finished eating, but she could see that he looked much better now that they were outside in the fresh air.

"Hey there, how are you holding up? You hanging in there okay?" she asked as she bumped shoulders with him, eyes squinting with sympathy as she smiled at him gently.

Looking at her for a moment out of the corner of his eye, his lip turned up in a sheepish smile, he answered, "Yes, I'm hanging in there; so far so good. Actually, I feel quite a lot better! But Roxanne, just so you know, I don't think I'm going to want to go back there any time soon, and if we do go back I am _definitely_ asking you to help me pick something off the menu. I do _NOT_ want a repeat of what just happened."

Roxanne giggled and said, "No, we don't want a repeat of that!" Then, her expression shifted to a mildly smug grin, and she commented, "You know, I hate to be one to say I told you so… but I told you so. _Six_ times as a matter of fact."

Rolling his eyes dramatically, he responded with a teasing hint in his voice, "So here we go with you pointing out my mistakes and enjoying every second of it. And what do you mean, you hate to be the one to say 'I told you so'? You love it and you know it! You know, I used to think you did it only because I was the bad guy and that was just your part to play in our little continuing drama, but now I've realized it goes quite a bit deeper than that… you just enjoy picking on me, don't you Miss Ritchi?"

"What? No! Of course not!" she said with a suppressed laugh. "Why would you even say that?"

She was quiet for a moment as she thought about his remark, and then continued with a broadening smile, "Although, it _is_ fun to banter with you. And I _love_ to see those expressions you get when I've nailed you and you can't think of a come back. Actually, yeah… I guess I _do_ kind of enjoy picking on you a little bit. But for some strange reason I have a feeling you don't mind it much, do you?"

He turned with a smile to look at her, and when their eyes met he answered, "No. As a matter of fact, I can't imagine my life without you in it to give me a good ribbing every now and then. I wouldn't have it any other way."

When she heard his dulcet tones as he answered her question and noticed the adoring light in his eyes as he gazed at her, she felt a touch of heat begin to develop in her cheeks, and she dropped her eyes with a sweetly bashful smile.

He had been noticing her give this same smile more and more often lately, and it amazed him beyond words that he seemed to have the ability to produce this kind of reaction from her. The first time he had ever seen it was that afternoon in the library many months ago when he had been in full Bernard persona. They had been telling stories and laughing together that day, something he had previously never even dreamed he would be able to do with this wonderful woman, when she suddenly gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen, and then allowed her eyes to drop as she hid behind her book.

His heart had felt as though it would stop right there in the middle of the library when he saw those blue eyes shining so fondly at him like that, just as it had every time since then. Right now, seeing her give him that special look that he had never seen her give anyone else and she seemed to have held in reserve especially for him, it was a sheer force of will for him to stay coherent enough to continue putting one foot in front of the other as they walked along. Add to that the fact that now she was _blushing_, well, it was a wonder he didn't just die of happiness right there and go to e-vil heaven, his heart filled with the contentment that his Miss Ritchi had looked at him with such beautifully loving eyes.

Gazing at her as they walked along, sentimentally lost in thought, he suddenly noticed for the first time a slight chill in the breeze as they came to the crosswalk that lead to the entrance of the park. With the realization that it had oddly become just a little nippy outside after such a warm day came the discovery that Roxanne seemed to be uncomfortably chilly in her summer dress. She seemed to be trying her best to wrap herself with her arms to cover her bare skin… and was that a shiver?

"How about you, how are you holding up? You look a tad bit chilly."

"Oh, yeah. I guess it's a little chilly out here."

"Do you want to go back? It's okay, really."

"No! I don't want to go back at all, I'm sure I'll warm up as soon as we get moving."

He watched another shiver travel through her as they waited to cross the street. She was so strong and could be quite stubborn at times; he wouldn't be surprised if she suffered through the entire walk without complaining once if he hadn't have noticed how cold she looked and said something about it.

Removing his jacket, he held it out to her and said, "Here, you need it more than I do right now."

"Megamind, no. I'm fine. Now _you're_ going to be cold, and what about your… uh, wardrobe issues?" she said as a giggle escaped her. She now had the opportunity to see just how short the turtleneck was on him; every time he lifted his arms the bottom of the shirt lifted as well to expose a thin strip of blue skin around his mid-drift, and he would then have to quickly grab the offending article of clothing and wrestle it back down in place.

"I'm more properly prepared for this wind than you are, and my _war-drove _issues are merely a trifle in comparison with the thought of you shivering next to me while I'm walking along warm and cozy in my jacket. Here, take it."

"Are you sure you don't need it?" she asked hesitantly.

"Absolutely!"

"Okay. Thank you!" she said with a grateful smile as she reached out and took the jacket from him. She was touched by the way he was looking out for her; sharing his jacket despite the fact that now he was inconvenienced without it really was a very gallant thing for him to do. But he had always looked out for her like that, even when they had been in the middle of one of her kidnappings he had been concerned for her safety and comfort. She wondered to herself as she slipped the jacket on how she had ever believed that he was really evil at all… this sweet, funny man was the most kind, gentle, and generous person she had ever known.

Once she was wrapped in the folds of fabric that he had thankfully pre-warmed for her, he reached out and took her hand. "Better?"

"Yeah, mostly. I'm still a little chilly, but this helped a lot."

"Are you going to be alright? We can always go… "

"No! I'm fine; I'll warm up a lot when we start walking. Let's go."

"Alright, come on."

With her hand in his, he ushered her across the street, making her chuckle to herself and warming her heart with his protectiveness as he guided her safely past the traffic and through the park's arched gate.

The hilly expanse of Metro City Park was scattered with trees in every direction, creating a greenbelt that was a welcome respite from the harshness of the concrete and steel of the rest of the city. Once in the park and away from the busyness of the thoroughfare, the windiness of the evening became much more evident to the couple as they began their walk. With each gust of the wind, the branches of the trees whipped back and forth, creating a whispery cacophony as limbs creaked and leaves rustled together.

Roxanne had the fleeting thought that maybe they should head back after all, but the wind seemed so erratic; one moment it would whip by with surprising strength, the next it would die down to nothing and the air would be as still and tranquil as a glassy pool, regaining a bit of it's warmth and reassuring her that as long as they didn't go too far, they should have plenty of time to enjoy a turn around the park before they had to worry about the possibility of the weather turning for the worst.

Late summer in Metro City had the tendency to be unpredictable at times as far as weather was concerned; a day could start out beautifully; shining and warm and golden, but suddenly from out of nowhere the city could easily be surprised by a sudden deluge, accompanied by startling bursts of thunder and lightening. She looked up to examine the sky and judge the progression of those clouds they had noticed when they left the restaurant… no, it still looked okay.

From their angle the streamers of clouds hadn't really progressed much at all. They continued to move slowly over the city, but the majority of the darkening sky was still clear and sprinkled with bright pinpoints of stars. Besides, she was beginning to enjoy this walk immensely now that she was wrapped snugly in his jacket and clinging cozily to his side, and the blustery weather seemed to be a bonus… she loved a good walk on a windy evening.

Megamind was also eyeing the sky suspiciously and glancing at the treetops as they were whipped about by the wind. The sky did appear relatively clear for the most part, but he didn't like those sporadic bursts of wind, which in his experience was often a telltale sign of changes to come. Although a bit of rain didn't typically bother him in the least, for Roxanne's sake he was beginning to think that it might be in their best interest to wrap up this excursion as quickly as possible and get to someplace warm and dry before they were hit with the impending rainstorm that, in his opinion, seemed more and more possible all the time.

The trouble was, up to this point nothing had worked out as they had planned for their date, and he felt that the responsibility for all the mishaps lay entirely on his shoulders; _he_ was the one who had been late, therefore causing them to miss their reservations. _He_ chose the alternate restaurant, and against Roxanne's warnings _he_ chose a meal that wasn't exactly sitting well with him, which was the direct cause of them not going to the movies as they had originally planned. To put it bluntly, he felt guilty... because of him, all the enjoyable activities that Roxanne had been looking forward to for the evening had a wrench thrown into them.

As he mulled over all of his blunders up to that point, his thoughts flashed back to the melancholy expression she had momentarily worn as they waited for their dinner to arrive. Was that why she had seemed upset? Was it because he had messed up their plans for a perfect evening? And now, as if everything that had already happened wasn't enough, that case of indigestion that had seemed to be mercifully eased when they got outside and began to move around in the fresh air suddenly appeared to be returning on him. Churning pit of lava, take two.

But under no circumstances did he want to do _anything_ else to ruin this date for her, in fact, he didn't even want to mention the fact that his insides were beginning to feel like they were going down in flames. He was determined that he was going to make the remainder of their evening special, no matter what it took on his part to accomplish that.

She seemed rather taken with the idea of a walk in the park despite the wind, even with his veiled attempts at steering her in the direction of calling it a night and heading back someplace more comfortable. But no matter how much he now regretted bringing up the idea, if a walk was what Roxanne wanted, he was going to make sure that a walk was what she would get; even though his mind kept wandering to the thought of getting her someplace dry and out of the rain that he was sure might hit any minute now, someplace with a bathroom close at hand, just in case…

Well, he supposed it wouldn't hurt to try _one_ last time to steer her into another activity. He could point out the sudden change in weather and propose going back to the lair or to her apartment to spend time enjoying each other's company there; at least until he recovered. Yeah, that should work! He was _sure_ she'd change her mind. And if not, well, he_ was_ a super hero after all,_ and_ an ex super _villain_ at that; he could handle it. He would simply suck it up and forge on with one objective in mind... give Roxanne the best date of her life! Or at least as close to that as he could get this date that was on the fast track to becoming a train wreck to come.

Doing his best to assume an easy smile, he said, "Wow, look at that wind! That certainly picked up from out of nowhere, didn't it? You know, Roxanne... we might want to think about heading back soon and continuing on somewhere indoors, just in case we end up with a little rain. We can go back to the lair, or I can take you back home… where ever you'd like!"

"Why? What's wrong? Is your stomach bothering you again? Or are you getting cold?"

"No, no. I'm not cold." he answered honestly enough. "And don't worry about my stomach, I'm okay. I was just thinking about you. You have my jacket but you're still not dressed for this kind of weather."

"Oh I'm not cold at all now, and I like this windy weather! Besides, I really don't think we need to worry about rain. Look, the clouds are moving pretty slowly; we have plenty of time. Let's just go around the loop once and then we'll head back, okay?"

Outwardly, Megamind flashed her an eager smile as he said, "Sounds like fun! Let's go." Inside however, he struggled to hold back a crestfallen frown and a whimper at the prospect of continuing this uncomfortable walk as his complaining stomach began to gurgle as ominously as the gusts of wind that whipped by. But he had made a promise to himself to finish this date on a positive note for his sweetheart, and that's exactly what he intended to do._ Anyway, it's only a short walk; just around the loop. And she's right, the sky is pretty clear for now, I'm sure we have more than enough time. Come on, you can do this! Do it for Roxanne!_

Determined to maintain that upbeat attitude for the sake of his lovely date but to get on with the walk and get it over with as quickly as possible, he stepped up his pace, transitioning to a gate that was more of a run than a walk, and unwittingly edging ahead of her as they moved along the concrete path.

Roxanne picked up her pace to match his as best she could, but it wasn't long before she began to fall behind, and found herself being pulled along by the hand as she trailed in his wake. The heels she had chosen to wear that looked so fabulous with her dress weren't exactly designed for going on a run in the park.

"Megamind, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean? I'm walking, same as you."

"What's the big hurry? Don't you want to slow down, take your time?"

"No! I'm quite enjoying myself actually. Gets the blood pumping, you know."

Seeing a perfect opportunity to get in a little more teasing at his expense, she said, "Oh. So you really _are_ into that sort of thing, huh?"

Megamind slowed down for a moment, and turning to look quizzically at her, he asked, "What sort of thing?"

"Speed walking."

A look of utter confusion crossed his face and he echoed, "Speed walking?"

"Well yeah. Look at you, you're speed walking. And you're even in a suit."

It took a moment for the meaning of her teasing to sink in, but when it did he stopped short and assumed a rather embarrassed demeanor as he guiltily relived the ridiculous excuse he had given her for "arriving" so quickly as _backup_ at the lair. But being a man to think quickly on his feet he recovered in an instant, and looking her full in the face as his expression took on a lofty air, he smoothly responded as he playfully touched the tip of her nose, "Yes, tease me all you want to my bedeviling little siren. But you know from experience that beginning a round of banter with me is playing with fire; I'll meet your barbs jab for jab. Before you decide to start up a battle of wits though, let me just point out to you that even though that whole scenario was... well, really quite ridiculous actually; I'll admit it, we may not even be here together like this right now if not for my "formal speed walking" that day."

A giggle escaped her as she heard his response to her teasing; he did have a point. That whole mess was the beginning of something wonderful that neither one would ever have guessed could have flowed from such a deception.

Deception. There it was again; that little pang that sprang up so unexpectedly in the deepest part of her heart the moment she had thought of that one little word that was so packed with meaning. Why was she suddenly finding herself dipping into these emotionally painful valleys over something she thought they had already talked about months ago? And tonight of all nights? She knew he was right… if not for his trickery they probably wouldn't be together like this right now. So why in the world did it suddenly hurt so much to think about it?

"Roxanne?"

She looked up at the sound of his concerned voice to see his brilliant green eyes gazing at her with worry from beneath creased brows. She hadn't realized that she had been staring off, lost in her thoughts for such a long time, and hoped she hadn't allowed her feelings to show in her expression. After all, it was silly for her to feel this way, and she didn't want this to ruin their date. It was all done and over with and forgiven, and she had moved on long ago. Hadn't she?

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I'm fine." she said as she forced herself to shake it off and shove her feelings once again to the back of her mind.

Taking his arm, she began walking again and said, "You're right, it all worked out in the end, didn't it? Now, you never did finish telling me about what happened this afternoon with the rescue; I want to hear the end of the story."

"_Now that was a bit of a brush off ." _Megamind thought when she quickly changed the subject. He had been watching her as the expression on her face switched in an instant from a bright, amused smile to an air of sadness. He was confused; one moment she would be happy and smiling and laughing, and the next, withdrawn and pensive. For the life of him he couldn't figure out why she was so unwilling to tell him what it was that was obviously bothering her so much.

His continuing worry, that she was hurt because he had ruined their date, was becoming more and more pronounced in his mind. There was absolutely no backing out now; no matter how much his stomach boiled inside from that damn dinner he ate, he was determined to stick this out and escort his precious Roxanne around the park without a single complaint, even if it killed him.

With renewed determination he led her along the path toward a large cluster of trees which was divided by the well lit strip of concrete as it wound it's way through the center. Megamind began to weave for her the finale of his tale of the rescue gone all wrong, describing the triumphant moment when the pitifully intoxicated man was finally pulled from the wreckage by the uncooperative brainbots. Despite feeling her spirits dampened by her confusing emotional roller coaster, Roxanne found herself in stitches at the mental image of a dripping wet man dangling sheepishly in mid air from the bots' pincers as he was being chastised by an irate, and very muddy Megamind.

Her hopeful blue suitor was somewhat relieved to see her laughing, though he did notice that she still seemed rather subdued when he finished relaying his story; walking along quietly and appearing serious and lost in thought as they made their way through the stand of trees. Not that she had withdrawn completely, but she seemed to have retreated somewhat within herself, mulling privately between staggered bits of conversation over whatever it was that had been bothering her throughout the evening.

_"Well this is just great. Poor Roxanne, no matter what I do, it's just not right. I'm screwing this whole thing up beyond belief!" _he thought. His worry about her feelings and the need to keep trying to find a way to make the rest of their date perfect was adding to his already tightly strung nerves, and as a consequence the grumbling of his stomach began to increase exponentially as they ambled along the path.

Walking along arm in arm, Roxanne tried as hard as she could to keep her thoughts off that disastrous evening months ago, but the more she tried to switch gears and ignore the feelings that were inexplicably welling up inside her, the more they came at her full force, which in turn made her feel terribly guilty and even more quiet and withdrawn. To make matters worse, she had noticed him becoming increasingly grave as the evening drew on and she fretted deeply that she was hurting his feelings in her fragility.

She wanted so much to turn off these feelings like a switch and listen to her head as it told her they had already worked it out and everything was fine rather than her heart that was beginning to ache in a way very reminiscent of the way it had when it had been freshly broken, but try as she might, she simply couldn't reign in her emotions. _"What's wrong with me? He doesn't deserve his. Look at how much he's done for me tonight, and he's tried so hard and come such a long way over the past few months. I've forgiven him, and I know how I feel about him... get it together Roxanne!"_

Just as they came around another bend in the path and Megamind thought he wouldn't be able to take another minute of the mounting assault on his digestive tract, they could see that the trees ahead opened up to reveal that they had thankfully made it about three quarters of the way around the loop of the trail. They had worked their way uphill to the highest summit in the park, overlooking the expanse of the city all aglitter with lights. Even more blessed was the fact that just on this side of the tree line was a restroom… exactly the thing he had been hoping that they would happen upon in the course of their walk.

Turning to her almost frantically, he blurted out, "Oh, will you look at that! I can't believe we made it this far already! Now _this_ is one of my favorite parts of the trail; let's hurry up and look at the view… but first I have to, uh... make a quick pit stop."

Then putting it in high gear, he began to move with fervor up the remainder of the gradient, pulling her behind him. He felt a little guilty as he hauled her along, but he had to get to that restroom _now_, and he wasn't about to leave her behind, all alone in the dark of the wooded trail.

When he took off with a burst of speed and she found herself having to jog along uphill in her heels again to keep up, she glanced at him in annoyance, ready to say something to convince him to slow down once and for all, but as they approached the small building that was his goal and she saw his expression, she swallowed her irritation. A look of such intense discomfort was etched into his face that she immediately asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

"Oh yes, nothing to worry about! Alright, now you just wait riiiiiiight here... " he said quickly as he stopped short right in front of the building and turned to her, taking her by the shoulders and maneuvering her to a well lit spot directly outside the door. "Now I won't be but a moment. If you need me, just holler for me and I'll be out the door in a split second!"

And then he was gone. She didn't think she had ever seen anyone move that fast, aside from Wayne of course, but he really didn't count. She hoped he was alright in there and had a nagging worry that he was feeling ill from the horrendously spicy food he had insisted on finishing, but he had assured her more than once that he was feeling much better. Maybe it was just all the water he drank at dinner?

During their sprint up the hill, Roxanne had begun to move from comfortably warm and cozy to far too hot, and as she waited for her date feeling slightly out breath, she slipped off the borrowed jacket to try and cool down. Standing there, leaning against the side of the building with his jacket draped over her arm, she thought about the progression of the night, and the arising of emotions that as far as she knew she had already left behind and should be long forgotten. She resolved that from that moment on and for the rest of the evening, she wasn't going to let anything put a damper on their time together. She was going to make it her personal mission to make the rest of this date wonderful for him.

Suddenly, as she stood there waiting, through the leafy tree tops and from across the city that was spread out just over the crest of the hill came the sound of thunder rolling not too far away. As they had walked along the forested path that protected them from the chill of the wind they had nearly forgotten about the storm that was brewing somewhere in the distance. Of course, having seen the sky above them looking clear for the most part and the strips of clouds that _were_ there moving rather slowly, they thought that they had plenty of time to finish their bit of exercise. What they didn't know was that behind them and neatly hidden from their view by the high risers and sky scrapers of the business center downtown moved a mammoth sized storm, roiling black clouds swollen with rain and poised for the right moment to send it's cargo down over a waiting city.

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**Stay tuned for fluffy romance! Chapter 4 will be updated on Monday; I really hope you'll come back to see how the story ends!**

**Now I can go and catch up on doing some reading for some friends that I've been putting off until this one was finished. I've been particularly excited to catch up on reading **_**Stepping Out **_**by **_**ladyspock7**_**. I hope you'll all head on over and check it out, it's an amazing story and so deserving of tons of praise and adulation! It's too fantastic!**

**Just so ya know, I have a new Facebook page! Please look for me under Sapphiregirl93. I thought it would be a great way to keep in contact with other writers, and give updates on how my stories are coming along. You're **_**ALL**_** invited to join in; I hope to see you there! :)**

**Please take a minute to let me know you're out there and that you enjoyed my story. It means the world to me to hear from you and builds my confidence as a writer, makes me want to keep the stories coming. Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**And now it's time to finish the story, and for our favorite couple to finally break through that last little bit of ice that's still hanging on after the drama we see them going through in the movie. Time for them to find the perfect ending to their not-so-perfect date, and to begin their happily ever after together. Aw geez, I'm such a sap!**

**Thank you so much for coming back for the ending, my friends! I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate it, especially those of you who have been so incredibly kind to review… I just love you guys, **_**all **_**my fellow fans of the most handsome blue hero **_**ever**_**!**

* * *

******"Forgive yourself of your faults and mistakes, and move on." Les Brown**

**"Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting." William Aurthur Ward**

**"We cannot love unless we have accepted forgiveness, and the deeper our experience of forgiveness is, the greater is our love." Paul Tillich**

* * *

The moment the first burst of thunder sounded, the wind picked up again and Roxanne could hear the pitter-pat of the first wash of rain as it hit the verdant branches. Leaning back to hug the wall more closely and stay under the eaves of the roof, Roxanne called out, "Megamind?"

From somewhere within the building she heard him answering back, his voice drawing nearer as he spoke, "Yes, I heard it! I'm coming!"

An instant later the door swung open and he stepped out, looking up at the sky through the canopy of leaves and watching the raindrops as they began coming faster and heavier. This was exactly what he was afraid would happen. Now they would have to finish their trek back to the car in the midst of the storm, and not just any storm; this one was looking like it was going to turn out to be one to remember judging by the size of those drops.

Just as he turned to look at her, another peel of thunder sounded, much closer than the last._ Damn it! What else can possibly go wrong tonight?_

"Well, it looks like there's no way to get around it; we're about to get good and wet. Are you ready?"

Roxanne cast a wary look toward the opening of the tree line at the sliver of a view of the city lights that they could see from their vantage, which was currently rather obscured by the torrent of soaking rain. No, she certainly was _not_ ready to run all the way back to the car in a thunder storm, and especially not dressed the way she was, but it didn't look as though there was any other choice.

Waiting where they were until the storm blew itself out didn't seem like an option; these summer storms tended to like to hold on once they hit, and this one appeared to be hitting with a vengeance. If they tried to wait, there was no telling how long they'd be there; besides, when she looked back at Megamind, she noticed again that he wasn't looking so good.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." he answered quickly. Despite some relief, he was still not feeling himself. Remembering his personal promise to keep his discomfort to himself and determined to stick with it, he attempted to throw Roxanne off the trail, repeating, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." she answered reluctantly with a final glance through the trees at the deluge that awaited them. Then looking back at him, she said, "I can't believe how fast this storm moved in! Megs, I'm sorry; it's really my fault we're stuck out here in this. I'm the one who kept insisting that we keep on with our walk."

He smiled reassuringly at her and said, "It's not your fault, don't be silly. And if there's any fault to be passed around, I share just as much of it as you do. Come on."

He held out his hand to her, and when she took it, they began to move quickly through the last stretch of trail that offered them any semblance of cover. When they reached the crest of the hill, they stopped for a moment, taking in the panorama spread before them. On a normal evening, a visitor to this section of the park would be treated with a spectacular view of the sweeping metropolis as it glittered with the glorious magic of a city at night.

Now however, the city was pummeled with sheets of rain that could be seen moving along the miles in waves that were being driven by the surging force of the wind. The undersides of the thick, dark clouds that had moved in so quickly glowed with the reflected orange light from the street lamps below, and were intermittently lit with bright flashes of lightning as it crackled and jumped from cloud to cloud or shot toward the ground with a booming jolt of thunder.

Hand in hand, the couple stood looking at the daunting last stretch of trail that they had to pass through to get back to the city streets, and from there to the cover and safety of the invisible car. Then, with a final silent glance at one another, they stepped out from under the trees and began their run through the storm.

Despite being a relatively short distance, it was a crazy dash through the night as the pair wound their way down the slope toward the park's gate, pushing through ever strengthening gusts of wind and finding themselves getting literally soaked to the skin by the downpour. Roxanne was particularly wet, not having put the jacket back on. Why bother? With rain like this it would be soaked through in a matter of minutes anyway, and despite the chilly wetness of the night, she was far too warm from their run to consider putting it on.

Having worn those darn heels that looked so fabulous with her dress, she was having an incredibly difficult time as they sprinted down the hill, and Megamind took care to hold on to her protectively and not to move too fast so she wouldn't slip on the wet concrete of the path.

When they finally made their way to the park's entrance and the crosswalk of the busy intersection which they had traversed earlier that evening, they weren't surprised to find that they were the only pedestrians crazy enough to be out in the thick of the fiercest storm of the summer. Apparently, even the citizens that would normally be out driving around on a Friday night looking for a good time had decided to head home early and hunker down to await the passing of the storm, because the streets were nearly devoid of traffic. The couple didn't even have to wait to make their way across the street.

Once they had gotten to the other side, Roxanne pulled her hand free of his grasp, and they both bolted forward as fast as they could to their final destination.

Megamind, being free from the hindrances that Roxanne's wardrobe presented, made it to the car first and proceeded to unlock and open the passenger side door for her so she wouldn't have to wait for a second to jump in out of the rain. When his task was complete, he turned around to wait for her, watching her as she approached. What he saw instantly brought to his mind the flash of a memory that nearly broke his heart.

He saw in his mind's eye his beautiful Roxanne, walking that night months ago with her arms wrapped tightly around herself through the storm, her head lowered with the weight of a broken heart... a heart that_ he_ had broken with his trickery. He remembered the way her face had been a perfect picture of confusion and sorrow, her eyes brimming with tears, and the way she had turned from him when he reached out to her, wanting to explain and willing for her to understand how deeply he come to love her. He felt anew his pain of heart at the hurtful words she had spoken out of her heartache that he knew he had so rightfully deserved, and relived the agony of watching her walk away, leaving him alone, in the rain.

Watching her walk toward him he thought she looked very much the same as she had that night, her bare shoulders wet and glistening in the light of the streetlamps, her soaked hair clinging to her face... even the dress was very similar with her trademark ruffles around the V in the neck. He hadn't noticed that until now.

Seeing her like this, a stab of anguish went to the deepest part of his heart at the memory that played in his mind, and unconsciously he reached a hand up to place over his chest, the pain of reliving his heartache almost too strong to bear. He hadn't realized how much his feelings over that night still effected him. They had talked about it some over the past months and had forgiven each other for the part they each had played that night, but despite that he had never been able to completely shake his remorse for what he had done, and for the pain he had caused her. That had been the biggest reason why he held off in asking her out on their first real date for so long. But this? He couldn't believe how much it hurt to be reminded in such a tangible way of that fateful night.

As Roxanne slowed to walk the last several yards to the car, her head down to fend off the driving rain, she was immensely relieved that they finally made it back. Despite being half drowned, they were none the worse for wear and she even began to think ahead about how they could spend the remainder of their evening. After all, it wasn't too late; maybe they could still squeeze in a movie at her apartment like he had suggested.

Just before she climbed into the car, she looked up at him and opened her mouth to mention this, but stopped short with wide eyes when she saw his expression. There it was, the same look she had seen him give her the night both their worlds came crashing down around them. His brows were creased and drawn up with the tide of his emotions as those incredibly green eyes looked at her from behind a veil of misery. The expressive lips that she had come to adore were turned down into a frown that tore at her heart.

Even though she already knew the answer, she summoned up her courage to ask, "What is it? What's wrong?"

He looked at her a moment longer in silence, and then swallowing to ease the thick, aching feeling in his throat, he shook his head and answered with a heavy voice, "Nothing. It's nothing, really."

The last thing he wanted to do was bring up the past right now, not after everything that could have possibly gone wrong _had_ gone wrong. He didn't want to make the date that was _supposed_ to be perfect in every way and had turned out to be the most terrible evening imaginable even worse for her.

She waited, hoping that he would continue; that he would say something to ease her worry, but when no more explanation was given she nodded and reluctantly sat in the car as he shut the door behind her. Of course she knew what was wrong, what else could it be? She had noticed immediately the similarities between that night and this one when she stepped up to the car and saw him standing there in the rain, looking at her like that. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he was thinking of it too, thinking of the things she had said to him. Oh _God_ if only she could go back and do it all differently, take back every word, throw her arms around him and tell him exactly how she really felt about him.

Megamind moved around the car and got in the drivers side, glancing at her as he situated himself. She looked so sad as she sat staring at the windshield, watching the raindrops as they coated the glass. _Nice job, genius. Look at how disappointed she is; I've ruined this for her! Now she probably won't want to go out with me again; not as anything more than casual friends, and maybe not even as that anymore with the way I've messed this up._

With a heavy sigh, he put the car in gear and began the drive back to her apartment. It was a tense drive across town, the silence between them louder than the masses of police sirens that once routinely chased the former villain across the city; or ran away from him, depending on the day and the scheme that he was in the process of executing. Both sat lost in their own thoughts and worries, and in the painful memories that were flooding unbidden back to their minds and feeding their insecurities.

As he rounded the last corner and pulled up to the curb in front of her apartment, he glanced at her again. She was facing away from him, watching details on the side of the street being whisked away as the car moved along. He couldn't quite see her expression, but he could see her profile, the smooth skin of her cheek and temple lit by the lights and gears in the dash and by the lights from the buildings outside. That little bit that he _could_ see told him all he needed to know... she was miserable.

He placed the car in park and switched off the engine. They sat for a moment in silence, the only sounds being that of the slowing rain hitting the roof of the car and rolling down the sides, the radio quietly playing Roxanne's favorite station in the background, the ticking of the cooling engine, the soft sighing of their breath, the rustle of cloth as they moved. He was almost afraid to say anything to break the silence; with his track record of screwing things up tonight, he'd probably just say something stupid and hurt her even more than he already had.

Roxanne turned to him, looking him over for a moment. She wanted so much to say something that would take away the hurt that she had caused him that night months ago, and to apologize for being so quiet and unusually closed off tonight on their date, but she didn't know how or even what to say. She was afraid to bring it up and make everything worse than it already was. _This is terrible... he probably won't want to go out with me again, not after this. _

Finally, with an effort she gathered up her courage, and clearing her throat she said, "Thank you, Megamind. This was nice."

He looked at her, taking in the sadness in her eyes that she was trying so hard to hide. He wasn't sure what to say. How could he have allowed this to happen? She was so special, there was no one else like her; she deserved so much better than this.

After another moment he nodded and said, "Yes, it was nice. Thank you too, Roxanne." _God, that was lame._ Come_ on, you're supposed to be the one with the amazing intellect, think of something to say to fix this! _

The couple sat gazing at each other regretfully, wishing they knew what to say and how to say it to make it all better; wanting to apologize but afraid to bring up the past that they once thought they had already worked out, and afraid to re-open old wounds and hurt one another even more deeply.

Outside, the rain began to fall slower and slower as the bulk of the storm began to move on. The patter of the drops hitting the roof of the car was softer now.

Sitting in such an uncomfortable situation finally became too much for Roxanne. She could feel a lump beginning to form in her throat as she studied the expression on his face. She wanted to go home; to sit in her apartment and think about what had happened, try to make sense of it all, maybe even allow herself to cry a little to ease her frustration.

With a deep breath to steady herself, she said in a weak voice, "Goodnight, Megamind."

At her farewell, the sadness in his eyes became even more pronounced, and he nodded wordlessly and looked away; and her heart broke a little more.

She almost opened the door and got out right then and there without a glance back, ready to head for the front door to hide the tears that threatened to well up at any moment, but something stopped her. Impulsively, she leaned in close to him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

She could feel him freeze for a moment at the sensation of her lips against his skin, as though he didn't quite know how to respond to her touch. Despite being so incredibly confident and full of bravado, she had seen this sweetly uncertain side of him before when she had embraced him. It never failed to melt her heart.

As her kiss lingered on his cheek she suddenly sensed a shift between them; as though the sun had come out after a long winter and the ice was finally beginning to melt.

He began to relax, leaning in to her with a sigh. When she pulled back to look at him, he still sat with his eyes closed for another moment, soaking up the memory of her willing kiss being truly given to him, the _real_ him with no tricks and no disguises to gain it.

Turning his head, he opened his eyes to look at her and her heart swelled at the depth of the love that she saw there. _No one_ else had ever looked at her like that before.

A moment later, their lips found one another; a small kiss at first that was slightly tinged with hesitation as they tested one another's reactions. When the realization began to sink in that their affections were welcomed, that one kiss led to another, more confident this time and filled with tenderness. More kisses followed eagerly as Roxanne shifted in her seat to slide closer to him and he wrapped his arm around her drawing her near, his other hand moving up to caress her cheek as they became more certain that this is what they really wanted, what they had needed all along.

It was at that moment that the dam broke; all the pent up emotion that they had been clutching on to so tightly out of fear of being rejected because of their past and the mistakes they had each made came rushing out in a powerful wave. Their mouths desperately explored one another with adoration as they poured every ounce of that long hidden love into their kisses, almost as though they were trying to make up for the years of unrequited affection in a single moment. The feeling of their arms wrapped tightly around one another seemed to fit perfectly, like a piece of the puzzle of who they were that had been missing all their lives suddenly fell into place. They were finally complete, and right where they belonged.

"Oh, Roxanne," he murmured against her, "I know we've talked about all this before, but I am _so_ sorry for lying to you. I know you're still hurting because of it. God, I wish I could take it all back!"

Between finally being able to feel his lips pressed against hers and his deeply heartfelt apology, Roxanne was having a difficult time deciding whether to laugh or cry with the joy that was welling up in her heart, but she managed to pull herself together just enough to admit in a wavering voice, "Yes, it still bothered me a little Megs, but it's not going to anymore."

"Can you forgive me? For real this time? I don't want you to hurt anymore... "

Roxanne pulled back from his embrace just enough to make eye contact, their noses nearly touching as she gazed at him, and said gently,"I already have, for real this time... I'm better now. No more hurting, I promise."

He closed his eyes and smiled at the beautiful sound of her voice when she completely forgave him unconditionally. He couldn't believe how good it felt to be new again, to start with a clean slate, all memory of his wrong doings erased by love.

Despite the happiness of the moment, Roxanne's brows creased a little. She still had a weight laying heavily on her own heart that had been tearing her apart for months. If she was ever going to have a chance to ease her regret and heal the pain she had caused him, now was the time.

"Megamind, I'm sorry too. Those things I said that night... I didn't mean them, not a word of it. I_ did_ want to be with you, I always have."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You always have? Seriously?"

She giggled a little. "Yeah. Always. Even when you were kidnapping me. I've always cared for you, and now it's... much more than that... "

Looking away with hesitation, she contemplated whether or not this was the right time to say what had been burning in her mind for what seemed like forever. She was tired of hiding her feelings. She knew exactly how she felt, and she wanted him to know it too. With a sweet smile she looked back at him and said, "I love you, Megamind."

His eyes grew wide as he rolled the meaning of those words around in his mind. Those four words had seemed almost too much for him to hope to hear her say in the same sentence, and yet here she was doing just that.

"Oh sweetheart, I love you too, so much. In all our crazy years together, there's never been a moment that I haven't loved you."

As they both beamed at each other, they tightened their hold on one another and resumed their kisses with gusto, making up for so much lost time.

Suddenly, out of the blue, Roxanne broke from his embrace, and looking at him seriously she said, "Megs, I'm sorry about tonight. I'm sorry I was so quiet, there were just little things that kept happening that remanded me of, well you know.. "

"Oh, so that's what it was; I was wondering. But Roxanne, you didn't do a thing, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who should be sorry here, I completely destroyed our date. In fact, I thought that's what you were upset about the whole time. I don't know what it is, but whenever I get really excited about something and put all my energy into planning to make it perfect beyond belief, it gets screwed up. Something happens to ruin it, every time! You remember, you were there for most of it… all my plans that didn't turn out right?"

Roxanne laughed and said, "Honey, you didn't destroy our date. I had a lot of _fun_ with you; with the exception of the emotional roller coaster, and the thunder storm... yeah, I could have done without those."

Megamind snorted a laugh and agreed, "Yeah, me too."

"But you know, about what you were saying before... it's not just you, that happens to a lot of us; to me too. I think it just means that we shouldn't put quite so much importance on trying so hard to make special events come out perfect, and to look at what we have every day, learn to appreciate those things for what they are. I admit I was all caught up in the idea that our first date would be perfect when I should have realized that all the time we've been together for the last couple of months already _was_ perfect. We really didn't need a big event to kick off our relationship, just to realize how much we love each other. And I certainly know that now."

She leaned into him and kissed him gently on the lips, and then smilingly whispered again, their lips still touching, "I really do love you."

"I love you too. I'll _NEVER_ get tired of hearing you say that, and of saying it right back!" Suddenly he scooped her up and into his lap, his arms wrapped around her tightly, and he repeated, "I love you, I love you, I love you! _Times six_!"

They both laughed ecstatically at his pronouncement of his feelings for her, and then they continued their ardent kisses as the minutes they spent exploring the long awaited feeling of being held, and touched, and adored for the first time by the one they loved ran together and stretched through the evening.

It would have been so easy to take those deep kisses and yearning touches all the way upstairs to Roxanne's apartment and continue it throughout the night, but just at the moment they were both so swept up in their passion for one another that they were ready to throw all caution to the wind and do just that, something happened. In the magic of their first moments holding each other, they had forgotten all about the radio playing in the background; they hadn't even noticed it was on at all.

Neither one of them felt that they would be able to get through another night without spending it in one another's arms and finally experiencing the long imagined moment of giving themselves to each other completely and without reserve. Just as Roxanne was breathlessly about to ask him to stay, her attention was captured by a woman's voice singing as a song quietly floated from the speakers in the background.

"_Lying here with you so close to me, it's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe. Caught up in this moment, caught up in your smile."_

Megamind began to notice a slowing in her embrace as his attention was also caught up by the music that he typically wouldn't give a second thought too considering there wasn't a single electric guitar to be found, but the words of this song as it switched to a man's voice singing the next verse had drawn him in...

_"I've never opened up to anyone, so hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms."_

Then the voices of the man and the woman joined together to sing, _"We don't need to rush this, let's just take it slow... Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight, just a touch of the fire burning so bright. No, I don't want to mess this thing up, I don't want to push too far."_

_"Just a shot in the dark that you just might, be the one I've been waiting for my whole life. So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight."_

Without pulling away from each other, the couple paused their affections and Roxanne lay her head on his shoulder and nuzzled in as he lovingly trailed his fingers along the damp skin on her arm and shoulder. Outside, the rain finally stopped and the clouds thinned enough to allow the summer moonlight to shine through the window on them, illuminating the car as they listened to the touching words that seemed to have been written just for them in that exact moment.

_"I know that if we give this a little time, it will only bring us closer to the love we wanna find. It's never felt so real. No, it's never felt so right."_

_"Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight, just a touch of the fire burning so bright. No, I don't want to mess this thing up. No, I don't want to push too far. Just a shot in the dark that you just might, be the one I've been waiting for my whole life. So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight."_

_"No I don't want to say goodnight. I know it's time to leave, but you'll be in my dreams tonight."_

Roxanne shifted just enough to look into his eyes and they smiled at one another in understanding. Wow, neither one could believe it; it was as though it had truly been written for them.

"You're the most precious thing in my life Roxanne; I can be patient. I've waited for you this long, I can wait a while longer; as long as it takes, just for us to be sure that we're both ready for this. There's no rush sweetheart, we have our whole lives ahead of us. Is that okay with you?"

Roxanne smiled sweetly and said, "Yes, of course it is Megamind; you're more than worth waiting for. It's so funny, I was just thinking the very same thing. Have you ever noticed how often we do that?"

He smiled at her and with a nod he answered, "I guess that's just another sign that we were meant to be together. I've been noticing an awful lot of those little signs lately, and honestly, I can't figure out for the life of me why I waited for so long to listen to them."

With another kiss, the couple finally detangled themselves from one another and stepped out onto the wet sidewalk. All around them the city was stirring again as the storm finally passed by; citizens coming out of buildings and apartments to walk in the freshly rain washed night.

* * *

As the couple walked into the lobby hand in hand, Carlos sat behind his desk with his newspaper open, passing the hours of his shift as he waited to greet the residents of the building or to help them with anything they needed. Hearing footsteps approach, he neatly refolded the paper and placed it on his desk as he stood to politely say hello to whoever was passing through. When he saw who it was however, his greeting caught in his throat as his eyes widened in surprise… and to his mind, not a very pleasant surprise at that.

Since the day this blue ruffian shot him with his laser and reduced him to a little blue cube, he had seen these two come and go together quite regularly. Carlos didn't trust him as far as he could throw him despite the fact that he touted that he had a change of heart and had now become a hero... anyone who carried around weird looking lasers which he had used so effectively to terrorize the city for so many years just had to be bad, no matter what anyone said. But Ms. Ritchi was a grown and very intelligent woman, perfectly capable of making her own decisions about who she would spend her time with; it simply wasn't his concern.

The doorman watched the two suspiciously as they passed. Now this was new. They had always appeared to be more on a friendly level with one another despite the occasional smitten glance, but he had simply passed that off as his imagination. There's no way a woman as smart as Miss Ritchi would fall for_ him_, right? Well, now he wasn't so sure... they were holding hands, and there was no mistaking those longing gazes as they looked smilingly into each other's eyes. _What the heck is going on here? _

* * *

Megamind walked Roxanne to the elevator doors and slid his arms around her waist as she turned to him with a smile, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to hold him close. They looked at each other another moment, soaking in the fact that they were finally together, finally a couple after all this long time of waiting and yearning and hoping.

Roxanne leaned close and placed the softest kiss on his lips, and asked, "Will you walk me up?"

"Sweetheart, I'm barely hanging on to my resolve right now as it is. If I walk up with you tonight, I'll still be here in the morning; there's no _way_ you'd be able to get rid of me. Besides, I'm still really not quite myself after that dinner. Best to wait until I've fully recovered."

She giggled and responded, "What? Why didn't you tell me when I asked you?"

"Oh, I didn't want to put a damper on the evening with my complaining. Instead, I just waited for the thunderstorm to put a damper on it for us."

She laughed at his sense of humor; she loved the way he had always been able to make her laugh.

"Well, I guess you're right. And honestly, if you did come up with me, I don't think I'd be able to let you leave even if you wanted to... I'd have to turn the tables on you and do a little kidnapping of my own."

"Hmmm, that's not a bad idea actually. Sounds rather enjoyable; we'll have to keep that in mind for another day... "

Roxanne giggled as he pulled her close, burying his nose in her neck and kissing her soft skin, creating a warm tingle that traveled straight down to her toes. With a delighted sigh she asked, "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, I'll be here." he murmured into her neck.

"How about the next day?"

He pulled back and looked into her eyes, then kissed her and said, "Oh, yes."

"And the day after that?" she flirted.

He looked at her and smiled, a smile that was more filled with love than any she had ever seen, and said, "Roxanne, I'll be here tomorrow, and the next day, and every day after that for the rest of my life if you want me."

She beamed back at him and answered, "Yes! I want you Megs, I need you. Promise me you'll always be here."

"With all my heart I promise I'll always be here for you. I'll always love you."

With that, he pulled her in for their last kiss of the night, and the kiss that was the beginning of the rest of their lives together.

* * *

Carlos sat at his desk watching the couple disapprovingly as they held each other, and shook his head when the villain pulled the lovely woman in for a deep, passionate kiss. What in the world was this city _coming_ to? What happened to the good old days when everything was so simple? Back then, villains were villains, heroes were heroes, and the bad guy _didn't_ get the girl.

Nowadays things had changed; villains became heroes, heroes became musicians, and apparently now aliens dated beautiful reporters.

Maybe he should just pack it all up and move away? Hmmmm, why not? He had a brother in Detroit who had been after him to move for years, he could just go there. Yeah, maybe that's what he should do. Maybe it was finally time for him to pick up and move to Detroit, where things were still simple, and _much_ less confusing.

* * *

**Well there you have it. I **_**truly**_** hope that you enjoyed this story; that it gave you a few reasons to smile along the way, and made your heart flutter a little with love for this special couple that we all adore so much.**

**If you feel so inclined, please consider leaving me a kind review and let me know what you think… I'm **_**so**_** curious to know how you liked it, and your input always inspires me to want to write more! Thank you so much for reading, and even more for your words of encouragement!**

**By the way, the song they listened to in the car is _Just a Kiss_ by _Lady Antebellum_. If you haven't had the chance to hear it before and have a minute, it'll be worth your while to look it up and give it a listen. It's such a beautiful song, and listening to it will make their moment in the car seem that much sweeter. :) **

**Those of you who may be wondering if I've abandoned Dangerous Secret…. the answer is **_**Nope**_**! I just needed a little break to write something sweet and fluffy before I charged on ahead with the drama to come. In fact, I'm just heading over there now to review my outline and see what the plot bunnies brought me for the next couple of chapters. **

**Hmmm, looks like one or two new characters with nefarious agendas come to mind just to thicken the plot, and… OH! A long awaited run in between Megs and our creepy villain seems quite likely too; but shhhh, no more spoilers! Guess you'll have to stay tuned to Dangerous Secret to see what happens next!**

**Please don't forget to find me on Facebook under SapphireGirl93... and THANK YOU! :)**


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